40 different filmformats
In earlier times a film was something with a reel and possibly a VHS tape. Nowadays the contents of a film may need to be adapted to up to 40 different digital formats. In Nordisk Film Digital Production they are experts at setting up and converting the many different digital formats.
Nordisk Film Digital Production is a small division with a team of four which converts files and tapes to digital distribution files. Today’s formats such as DVD and Blue Ray might disappear in 5 or 10 years time. Instead customers will download or stream their films online - and for that there are numerous different formats. Currently there are 40 different digital film platforms for any given film. This is a challenge for the film industry as you need, as a film distributor, to be able to deliver in all the available formats.
Our capability is our wealth
Digital Production was established in 2007. Since then they have amassed a wealth of experience, and today Digital Production can convert files from any source and still maintain professional quality.
”We are expanding our in-house competence, which covers all the digital platforms”, explains Ulrik Rasch, general manager operations, Nordisk Film, and adds: ”Our capability is our wealth and we will still be living on this in 10 years time, so we need to control how we distribute our digital capability to as many distribution channels as possible. Today the market for digital products is marginal, but expectations are that the market for Video-On-Demand, among others, will increase by 900% in the next three years.”
Competition cannot keep up
Already, there are a number of platforms which require files in different formats, but the really big customers are biding their time, and they are the broadcasters.
” We are waiting for the broadcasters to quit using tapes once and for all,” says Lasse Nissen, Technical Supervisor at Digital Production.
”The big risk with being a first mover is that we will have to be capable of fulfilling every demand, we need to be able to deliver everything. We have invested countless hours of development time in this, which has cost money, but it has also taught us
a lot of valuable lessons. It also means that we are miles ahead of our competitors because of our know-how, our quality and the fact that we have digitalized more than any of the competition have,” Ulrik Rasch says.
Initially Nordisk Films’ own property has been digitalized. The objective is to digitalize Nordisk Film’s entire catalog within a few years. To this date Nordisk Film Digital Production has digitalized more than 700 titles and delivered files to over 40 platforms throughout the Nordic countries.
Our capability is our wealth
Digital Production was established in 2007. Since then they have amassed a wealth of experience, and today Digital Production can convert files from any source and still maintain professional quality.
”We are expanding our in-house competence, which covers all the digital platforms”, explains Ulrik Rasch, general manager operations, Nordisk Film, and adds: ”Our capability is our wealth and we will still be living on this in 10 years time, so we need to control how we distribute our digital capability to as many distribution channels as possible. Today the market for digital products is marginal, but expectations are that the market for Video-On-Demand, among others, will increase by 900% in the next three years.”
Competition cannot keep up
Already, there are a number of platforms which require files in different formats, but the really big customers are biding their time, and they are the broadcasters.
” We are waiting for the broadcasters to quit using tapes once and for all,” says Lasse Nissen, Technical Supervisor at Digital Production.
”The big risk with being a first mover is that we will have to be capable of fulfilling every demand, we need to be able to deliver everything. We have invested countless hours of development time in this, which has cost money, but it has also taught us
a lot of valuable lessons. It also means that we are miles ahead of our competitors because of our know-how, our quality and the fact that we have digitalized more than any of the competition have,” Ulrik Rasch says.
Initially Nordisk Films’ own property has been digitalized. The objective is to digitalize Nordisk Film’s entire catalog within a few years. To this date Nordisk Film Digital Production has digitalized more than 700 titles and delivered files to over 40 platforms throughout the Nordic countries.
January 2010
